Railroad highway crossing



July 21, 1936. c. L. GEORGE RAILROAD HIGHWAY CROSSING Filed May 27, 1955 Patented July 21, 1936 RAILROAD HIGHWAY CROSSING Charles L. George, Findlay, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Traction Ditcher Company, Findlay, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application MayI 27, 1935, serial'No. 23,557'Y 6 Claims.A (01238-9) This invention relates to, railroad highway crossings, and particularly to removable filler means for the spaces customarily left in the pavements of such crossings at the sides of rail- Vt: way rails to form a comparatively smooth crossing surface and at the same time permit access to the rail.

The object of the invention is the provision of a filler means of this character, which is coml posed of few parts, is strong and durable in its construction, is simple andinexpensive to install and ,is capable of easy and quick removal to facilitate .access `to a. railI forinspection, repair or replacement.

- Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent vfrom `the following Adetailed description thereof, and `from the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is the plan view of a crossing' embody- 2o. ing the invention with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1';

i Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3 ;V Fig. 5 is a sectional detail illustrating a slightly modified form of attaching the tread plates to the supports, the section being taken lon the'line 5--5 in Fig. 6, and Fig. 6 is a section thereof taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, I-I'designate the rails of a. railway track and 2 the permanent paving construction at opposite sides of each rail at la crossing with its top surface substantially level with. the rail tops. A free space 3 is provided between each side of a rail and the paving 351 material 2 to render access to a rail to permit inspection, repair or replacement thereof, and the edges of such material which form the sides of the ,spaces opposed to an associated rail are preferably faced with metal plates or strips 4. These plates extend upwardfrom the ties 5 to the top surface of the paving material, are anchored to the material in any suitable manner and have their exposed sides substantially smooth. The filler means embodying the invention is mounted in each space 3 and is coextensive in length with the width of the crossing. 'Such means includes a pluralityof supports 6 mounted on the ties in suitably spaced relation lengthwise of the respective space 3, and one or more tread plates 'I mounted end to end on the supports 6,

if more than one plate is used, and in width extending substantially frorn the top edge of the associated material facing plate 4 to the adjacent side of the rail.

Each Support 6 is substantially I-form in crosssection` to provide a base 8 for seating on a tie at a side of the rail base, an upstanding web 9 which is transverse to the rail, and a top I0. The edge of the web 9 opposed to the rail is oppositely iianged as at I I a distance up from its base 5 to provide a broad side surface for abutment against the plate 4. The base 8 is apertured at opposite sides of the web to receive screws, spikes, or other means for attaching the supports to the ties. The support top I0 has its inner and outer 10 edges, relative to the rail, turned down, with the outer edge spaced from the plate 4 to permit the insertion of a down-turned edge of the tread plate therebetween. The top I0 is also preferably of greater width, transverse to the rail, than l5 the base 8 to permit its inner edge to lie relatively close to the side of the rail head, while the base 8 is suitably spaced from the-rail base to prevent interference with the tie plate I2. The web 9 is also accordingly broadened at its top o portion andits inner edge,` is oppostely flanged, as at I3.

The'top I0, substantially midway between its inner and outer edges, forms a depression or groove I4 which extends from edge to edge thereg5 of parallel to the rail. A bolt receiving aperture I5 is provided in the bottom of this groove in vertical register with the web 9 and with an opening I8 in the top portion of said web.

YEach tread plate I is preferably composed of 30 rolled stock and may be of any suitable length for one or more, placed end to end, to extend from one end tothe other of the space 3 in which disposed. This plate has its outer edge turned down to provide an edge flange Il for insertion 35 into the space between the outer edge of a support top I0 and the plate 4, and its inner edge portion is dipped down, as shown at I8, and then continues horizontally or in a plane parallel to the major top portion of the plateto form a lip I9` for extending under the. adjacent side edge of the'rail head. This lip is provided with an edge notch 20 where necessary to t around a fxshplatev 2|. The flange portions I1 and I8 are suitably spaced to receive the support top I0 4;, therebetween and to center the plate thereon. 'Ihe body portion of the plate 'I `is formed intermediate its side edges and throughout its length with a depression 22 for seating in the support groove I4 and to provide a bolt head receiving o groove 23.

The plate 1 is secured to the several supports 6, on which it is mounted, by bolts 24 inserted through apertures in the bottom of the groove 23 in register with the apertures I5 in the respective 55 supports, and threaded into nuts 26 disposed in the webv openings I6.l The nuts are held against turning by tting up into complemental recesses 21 in the `under sides of the support tops I0. The

openings I6 are suliiciently deep to permit the portions bent down at opposite sides of the web 9 to prevent accidental removal from the openr ings. l. l

It is apparent that the heads of the bolts 24 are disposed in unobstructing position within the plate grooves 23; that the 'plates are shaped tosubstantially t the top contour vof the supports 6, vand that the lip edges ofthe plates are de-V Y pressed suiiciently with respect to therail tops` as not to interfere with the flanges of vwheels travelingonthe rails and to project under the adg'acent edge portionsV of the rail heads The outer ends of Athe end platesi of ase't may. be turneddown, asy shown. in Fig. 3.4 Y In theE modi'cationshown in Figs. 5v and 6, the bolts 211i for securing the tread plates 1 tov the supportsV Giareeliminated and instead the supports''desi'gnatedr 6 arefprovided in their top grooveswith-opstanding lugs-30 which'proj'ect through' openings 32|f in the grooved portion of the'itread plate Tand. have apertures 32 through whichY a, key :isis-inserted; The key is of soft pliant material to. permit a bending of itsends at thef opposite sides of the lugs Sill tov prevent' wi'thdrawal. locking means'isl of 'shallow form and doesnot project above the surfaoeof the plates 1 Y r l VI wishlitunderstood that my invention :is'not i limitedto any/specificr construction,` arrangement or form of the parts, asfi-t! is capableofrnumerous mediiieation'sE and changes -withoutdeparting from the spirit of the claims. i Having 'l -thus' Adescribed?"my inventiong-=what I claimas new, andede'sire--to secure by United States Letters Patent,` is: f Y l vi y A fillermeansof the cla'ssdescribed, incl-'uding a; plurality` of supports-rnountedy ata'side of rail in spaced relation thereto, and a 4tread plate mounted on the supports lengthwise ofthe rail-at aside thereof, the supports having lengthwise extending-surface'grooves and-theplate-havingra `longitudina-llydisposed protuberant portion fitting intofsaid grooves; and formingas'urfac'e' groove in the plate, said plate also having ardepressed lip-portion adjacent to the rail, and means' disposedpartially at least in said plategroov'e andv det'achably'v connecting the plateand supi ports* i f 2(111 aclevicebof the classt describedLY-'a treadj plate having a" longitudinally grooved bodypor-v apertures; 'aJ bolt vprojecting through said aper-V turesv for'ldetachably connecting said plate andpressioni.

support and having a nut V.disposed insaid Vweb opening and a key removably disposed in said opening coacting with the nut to prevent its f removal from the opening.l t l 3. In a device of the class described, a tread x plate having a longitudinally extending surface 1 openings and disposed in said groove, and a key` for insertion through said stud over the groovedV loottorn to detachably retain the plate and support `in connected relation.V A

4', InaA devicerof the` class'described, the com'- binationina vrail/road highway crossing, of a rail,

plane of-thetrail top, a plurality of supports in suchsp'ace having nat top portions each with a longitudinal;surfacegrooveitherein paralleli tothe rail,A a tread plate Vhaving-a body-portion mounted on saidn supports and .provided with.v aZlOngitudi` nally extending protuberan-t part projectingin the support4 grooves andi forming: aA top grooveiin a"pavingmaterial spaced from a side of said railY and" havingv its top surface in `substantially the the plate.,.saidbody portion.- havinglanafouter dee` pending edge in substantial sideabutnientliwith the upper ledge portion;of'.thefpavingnstructure Y and :having 'a Vvdownwardly extendingV inner edge portion forming a horizontally disposed lip which terminates: yafdiacent to: the vhead iportiofnfof. the rail Vhelowf its: top;y and. vmeans.for'detachazbly yIcons-.1 necting; the'- groot/.edfportions:Hof;V thevlplate fand supports together. Y .i4 l f5. .In comloination-` ywithla railway-1 rai1,1 spaoed from. .the adjacent paving whichv latterA hasits upper surface in substantially Ythe plane of the top of the rail, a traction plate disposf'edlil'i V'said spacefhaving: a freeside-lyinfgi adjacent one side of' the: rail. having. a :second y freeside lying'adg'acent-to the-.adjacent side of ther paving,I and having .a shallow, Vnarrow. depression between its sides,..a, support fvorffthev plate; and? fastening means. securing the plate .to'ithe support dis-'- posed: vpartin the" depression yto renalole removal of the fastening means-,and thereby theplatei-so ing, whichlatter hasfits upper^ surface-"in sull-Vv stantially thel'plane `of thetop.I ofi the rail-,sa` correspondingly relativelyy narrow traction plate disposed; insaid space having itsv inner sidedepressedfandl lying adjacenta side of andrbelow the top-of thefrail to .accommodate.theK la-ngebt the wheel ofa railway car andifhavingan:outer Y port-ion which is turne'ddownwardlyand which lies adjacent to the. adjacent-:side of mapa-ving.. saidV plate vliar/ing' a Yshallow,-V narrow depression intermediate? the Y- sides Vof, the .plate,f supporting means foriv the plate,`and` fastening meansrlfor removably securing vthe]f-plateL to the supporting meari'sf--di'sposedin'part i' he 'uterinediate'idel;l

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